Vegan Pesto Pasta Bake

Name: Vegan Pesto Pasta Bake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 16 oz penne pasta; 1 cup raw cashews; 3 cups unsweetened almond milk; 3 tbsp lemon juice; 2 tbsp tapioca flour ((or tapioca starch)); 1 tsp garlic powder; 1 tsp onion powder; ½ tsp sea salt; ½ tsp black pepper; 6 oz vegan pesto ((I used a 6 ounce bottle of Sprout's Organic Vegan Pesto)); 4 medium roma tomatoes (diced); ½ cup vegan parmesan cheese (grated (I used a block of Violife parmesan cheese))

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This savory vegan pasta bake is pure comfort food! It's super simple to assemble, it's ready in less than one hour, and it's loaded with ribbons of pesto, juicy tomatoes, and the creamiest sauce. Serve with a big salad and watch everyone gobble it up!

A spoon holding pasta over a white casserole dish that's filled with more pasta.

This hearty vegan pasta bake is a truly delicious meal! It comes together quickly and easily, and I promise you, the whole family will devour it. Noodles coated in creamy cashew sauce with swirls of pesto running throughout...what's not to love? If you're craving comfort food, this is what you should make for dinner tonight!

Ingredients & Substitutions

Pasta - Use your favorite small pasta or you could substitute orzo, vegan tortellini, or pearl couscous.
Cashews - You can use shelled, raw, unsalted sunflower seeds if you need a substitute. The sunflower seeds would also need to be boiled for 10 minutes before you add them to the blender.
Almond Milk - You could also use oat milk or your favorite plant milk as long as it's not flavored or sweetened.
Lemon - Fresh lemon juice brightens the sauce and gives a lot of flavor.
Tapioca Flour (or Starch) - Tapioca gives the sauce the thick, stretchy, cheesy texture. You can use 1 tbsp of arrowroot powder instead of 2 tbsp of tapioca flour if necessary.
Dried Seasonings - Garlic and onion powder add loads of flavor!
Vegan Pesto - I used a jar of pre-made pesto, but if you want to make it from scratch, use this vegan recipe.
Tomatoes - Tomatoes add a juicy pop of flavor and color. You could also add mushrooms or zucchini.
Dairy-Free Cheese - I used a block of Violife vegan parm that I grated, but you could also use vegan shredded mozzarella.

How To Make It

Begin by boiling the cashews. Next, cook the noodles in a pot of boiling water. While the noodles are boiling, make the cashew sauce.

Add the cashews, unsweetened almond milk, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, tapioca flour, and lemon juice to a high-powered blender and blend the mixture on high until it's smooth and creamy.

A photo collage showing how to make a vegan pasta bake in 6 easy steps.

Pour the cream over the noodles and stir to combine (Photo 1). Add dollops of the pesto and swirl it throughout the noodles (Photos 2 & 3).

Top the casserole with diced tomatoes and grated vegan parm (Photos 4 & 5). Lastly, cover the casserole with parchment paper and bake it for 20 minutes or until the cheese has melted (Photo 6). Serve and enjoy!

Recipe Variations

You can make the vegan pasta bake just as the recipe states, or you could switch it up with the following variations:

Marinara: Instead of the creamy sauce, substitute a 32 oz jar of marinara.
Plant-Based Protein: You can add extra protein to this baked pasta by mixing in one can of rinsed and drained great northern beans, lentils, or chickpeas, or one cup of cooked green peas.
Crispy Topping: Top the casserole (before you bake it) with buttery bread crumbs to add extra texture and even more flavor!
More Vegetables: Make this pasta bake a more substantial meal by mixing in broccoli florets, artichoke hearts, mushrooms, spinach, or diced zucchini.

What Goes With it?

I like to serve the bake with a big salad drizzled with vegan ranch dressing along with a tray of roasted veggies. Any of the following recipes would be delicious side dishes.

How To Store It

Put the leftover pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days or freeze it for 2-3 months.

When you're ready to defrost it, put the container in the fridge to thaw for 24 hours. Then you can warm up the pasta on the stovetop, microwave, or bake it again in the oven. You'll need to add a little bit of almond milk or water to the pasta to help loosen it if it's too thick.

A white casserole dish filled with pasta on top of a blue towel, and wooden cutting board on a dark background.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to boil pasta before baking?

Yes, you need to boil the pasta before you bake it. There's not enough liquid in the casserole to make the noodles soft while you bake it.

Should you bake pasta covered or uncovered?

You should bake the pasta covered for half the time and then uncover it so the cheese on top will melt. If you leave it uncovered for the whole time, the pasta will get hard and dried out on the edges.

Does it matter what pasta you use in pasta bake?

I like to use smaller noodles that have ridges or pockets to catch the sauce. Penne, macaroni, shells, cavatappi, or fusilli are all good options.

Expert Tips

Use store-bought pesto (I used Sprout's vegan pesto) to save time and make dinner even easier to make.
Make sure to use unsweetened plant milk. Vanilla-flavored or plant milk with added sugar will make the savory sauce taste sweet.
Tapioca flour may also be labeled as tapioca starch. They're the same.
Undercook the pasta by 1 minute because the noodles will keep cooking while you bake the casserole.
I used grated vegan cheese for the topping, but you could also top the vegan pasta bake with bread crumbs or grated brazil nuts (surprisingly, it really looks like grated cheese!).